Metal connection for building frames



Jan. 6, 1953 VAN RENSSELAER P. SAXE METAL CONNECTION F YOR BUILDING FRAMES Filed May 25, 1950 fittome Patented Jan. 6, 1953 tian Rcnsselaerii; Saxe; Baltimore, Md. Application May 25;',1950,,Serial Nb. 164,157"

Theinvention relates angle to each other. The connection comprising au-shapedyoke carriedbyone of the building elements; and an angular bracket carriedby the other building-element; andmeans whereby the angular bracket may have limited longitudinal movement on "itsbuilding elementthereby allow-- ing automaticadjustment of the bracket where" the bracket is, carried by a buildingelement dis-- posed between other building elements and at an angle thereto; bracket to adjust itselfincidentto variations in the manufacture and fabricationof-building elementsparticularly columns andbeams; and obviates the necessity ofthe beam-being-:cuttoexact' longitudinal dimension;

A further object is to provideone of the arms of the-angular bracket with an insert longitudinally movablelin. an opening. through the arm, and which insert is adapted to be welded to the beam:end after the other arm of the'brackethas been forced to seated position througha yoke carried by an adj acentbuilding element.

A further object is to form the insert from reversely-"positioned U-shaped members having their: connecting portions longitudinally chair-- neled to transverselyride over longitudinal ribs or curved beadsforming thelinner.opposite sides of the opening through the arm of the bracket.

A. further object is to provide the outer. ends of the arms of'the U -shaped'insert members-with interengaging means, whereby the U-shaped members may rock to the same plane within the opening through the arm of the bracket for the insertion operation, and at the same time preventing longitudinal displacement of the U- shaped members in relation to each other after the insertion operation.

A further object is to provide the yoke receiving flange with a lug which positively engages the under side of the yoke and prevents rocking of the beam within the yoke when the other end of the beam is being forced to seated position in the opposite yoke.

With the above and other objects in view the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawing, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

to metal connections "for building frames, particularly adaptedfor connecting" meta-l building elements disposed at an The limited ,play' allows the Figure 1 isa-side elevationof a beamconnect ing spaced columns, showing the connections applied thereto:

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the-beam and sections through the columns taken on l-ine- 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a verticaltransversesectionalview taken on line 33 ofFigure 1.

Figure 4 is aperspective view of the self adjusting bracket;

Figure .5 is 'a-detail co'llective view "of the insertmembers;

Figure-dis avertical transverse sectionalview" through one" end" of the bracket and the insert,

showing the insert. members in position to be insertedinithe opening of the bracket arm.

Figure '7 'isa bottom'plan view of the bracket" and the end of a beam showingqthe" bracket attached to beamiby welding within "the opening" of the insert.

Figure 8 is a"verticallongitudinalsectional view 1 through the adjustable bracket; 2: portioniofi'a' beamand .a portion of .a column.

The invention isan 'improvementon'thedevice' 1 nates a conventionalform of'buildingbeam'dim posed at.a rightangle between'vertical columns 2. One'end of' the beam! hassecuredtherew, by welding an angle bracket 3, and whichbra'cket' is provided with an arm l, which arm extends downwardly through a yoke 5 secured to an adjacent column. This bracket is of the same construction set forth in the application and patent referred to above, with one variation, a shouldered lug 6 very shallow, which lug engages under the yoke 5 for preventing the end from rocking out when the other end of the beam is rocked for engaging within the other yoke on the other column. It has been found, that with a very shallow lug 6, there is enough spring to the weld and yoke to allow the passage of the lug through the yoke. In actual practice, if the workmen are careful in driving each bracket to its proper seat, there would be no necessity for the lugs, however it has been found that this care does not prevail at all times.

Beams and columns vary slightly in dimension and extreme care must be exercised in the cutting of the beam lengths for the seating of rigidly fixed brackets. It has also been found that there is a variation in the manufacture of the columns between which the beams extend, therefore it is desirable to apply at least one bracket to the under side of the beam in a manner where it will have limited longitudinal movement, and to accomplish this result the bracket 3a has its arm 1 provided with a longitudinally extending rectangular shaped opening 8 therethrough, and to provide an insert 9 slidably mounted in the opening which can be welded to the under side of the beam in position. Any insert necessarily has to be interlocked within the longitudinal opening 8, and to accomplish this result the opposite longitudinal sides of the opening 8 are transversely rounded, as shown at l0, and the insert 9 is formed from reversely positioned U-shaped members II. The outer sides of the U-shaped members I l are longitudinally concaved as shown at I2 so that when the U-shaped members I I are angularly positioned, as shown in Figure 6, with their arms 13 in interengagement through the means of ribs l4 and slots l5 they can be rocked to a position within the opening 8 and to the plane of the arm 'Lafter which they can be tack welded together where their arms engage for permanently holding the insert within the opening 8. When applying the bracket to the beam end the insert is welded to the under side of the beam at [6 through the opening through the insert to the under side of the beam, as shown in Figure 7. This can be done before the beam is placed in position or after, if desired, and after the erection operation, if desired, the marginal edges of the arm I may be welded to the underside of the beam. It will be seen, that after the bracket 3 has been forced to position, the bracket 3a may longitudinally adjust itself when its flange 3b is forced through the column carried yoke 16a. Flange 3b is also provided with a' slight angular shoulder I! engaging the under side of the yoke Mia and prevents rocking or displacement of the bracket within the yoke. The tacking operation of the insert members simply maintain the insert in proper position within the opening 8 until the final welding operation at I6. Thetacking weld is shown at 18 in Figure 3.

From the above it will be seen that an erection bracket connection between a beam and a column is provided which will adjust itself to proper position to accommodate the bracket to overcome variations in dimensions of beam and column incident to manufacture. It will also be seen that the insert can be easily and quickly inserted in the opening of the bracket arm and be inter- 4 locked within the opening 8 in a manner whereby it will have longitudinal movement in the plane of the bracket arm.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. A bracket connection between a bracket and a structural element, said connection comprising an arm carried by the bracket and engaging the structural element, said bracket arm having an opening entirely therethrough, opposite sides of the opening in the bracket arm being straight and substantially parallel, insert members disposed in the opening of the bracket arm, said insert members being U-shaped and in opposed position with arms extending towards each other, interengaging means between the arms of the .u-shaped members and slidable interengaging means between the transverse portions of the u-shaped. members and opposite sides of the opening through the bracket arm, said U-shaped members being welded to the structural element thereby forming means whereby the structuralelement and bracket may move in relation to each other. I

2.,A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the interengagement between the transverse portion of the U-shaped members and opposite sides of the bracket arm are arcuate, thereby allowing- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,824,631 SaXe Sept. 22, 1931 2,042,179 Leake May 26, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 17,107 Great Britain 1904 

